Helena Amaral has since always pursued the life and happiness
in painting, using for that flowers as obligatory model.

She took , however , an artistic course against the "excessively
perfect" theme` s classics " The Flowers must be live!" not
saving nor even Vincent Van Gogh "A Great, Great Master... but his
Flowers are sad and sick!"

´ Nature certainly is "intangible", yet
one must seize her, and with a strong hand. And then , after struggled and
wrestled with her, sometimes she becomes more docile and yielding. `

(from a letter 152 of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theodore
Van Gogh, October 1881)

The destiny however would link the Helena `s city of Porto
to Rotterdam of Netherlands (the fatherland of Flowers-Still-Lifes), when
these two cities were designated for European Capital of Culture in 2001.
Having Rotterdam a Van Gogh` s Gladioli - Helena `s most untouchable Flower
- the Portuguese witch , saw the light of glory, in a fight with her transcendental
rival.

Then , Helena Amaral painted White Gladioli in the Portuguese
Flag . The Gladioli seem to reveal an exuberant happiness, as celebrating
the conquering of a remote land , a little bit Southwest from Arles.